Slag ladle



July s, 1958 M, J. PRIOLA 2,842,353

SLAG LADLE Filed April 26, 1956 I INVENTOR T1=LE MICHAEL J PR/OLA A ORNEY United States. Patent "v SLAG LADLE, Michael J. Priola, Duluth, Minn. .1 Application April 26, 1956, Serial No. 580,762

3 Claims. (Cl. 266-39) This invention relates to improvements in the construction of slag ladles such as are used in the iron, steel and other metal smelting and casting arts.

The object is to provide a slag handling ladle with a readily removable bottom to facilitate cleaning the walls of the ladle when lined with solidified slag stuck thereto after the contents are dumped.

Another object is to make a slag ladle, so that it requires very little time and effort to clean.

Another object is to improve the economy of handling molten materials by providing the ladies with removable self-sealing wedged bottoms, drawn into and held in place by external bolts to prevent the bottom from falling out when the ladles are inverted, said bolts being readily removable to release the bottom for separation thereof to facilitate cleaning out the solidified slag stuck to the ladle.

Another object is to provide a slage ladle with downwardly converging inner side walls, a separate bottom wall formed to fit into the bottom of said side walls, and simple external means for temporarily wedging said bottom wall downwardly within said converging side walls.

Other and more specific objects will appear in the following detailed description of one form of the invention constructed in accordance with this invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a slag ladle constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in elevation of this slag ladle, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view to show the assembly of the separate bottom in the ladle.

In the steel industry as in other molten material handling, more or less slag is encountered, which sticks to the sides of the ladles and other vessels used in pouring processes, for casting various articles or just slabs CCv 1 movable bottom 11. The ide walls, at least near the" and blank stock of the material, for working into articles I of manufacture or remelting, etc. Slag is the accumulation of impurities, usually in the form of scum or precipitates that stick to the inside of pouring ladles and other handling utensils, and solidify thereon. The slag then has to be cleaned out at intervals.

When molten steel is taken from a furnace, the molten impurities or slag obtained in the refinement process must also be removed. The slag ladle used in this process is thus filled with the material, which freezes or solidifies as the temperature drops. As it is dumped, the area around the sides and bottom of the ladle accumulates the sticky scum and precipitated ashes, and as it cools oif, it solidifies thereon.

Slag ladles in common use are made with integral bottoms, or bottoms that can be removed only with great difliculty. Consequently, the job of cleaning out this solidified slag is extremely time-consuming and costly. The same is true in the purification and handling of other molten materials, as well as steel.

The present slag ladle 10 is made with a readily rebottom of the ladle, converge downwardly, and the peripheral edge" of the bottom 11 is made to' conform to this convergence so that it may wedge down into it by external'means such as the bolts 12 passed through a flanged ring or rim 13, which has a flange 14 bearing against the bottom edge outer flange 15 of the side wall ofladle10. i

It'will be'n'otd-that when" the ladle is inan upright position, as shown in the drawing, it is impossible for the bottom 11 to slip through and it is substantially self sealing, if well fitted with a clean joint, or if a little fire clay 16 or other sealing material is used in the joint. The use of the bolts 12 and ring 13 is not for the purpose of holding the bottom 11 in place when the ladle is in an upright position, but solely to keep the bottom 11 from falling out when the ladle is inverted. Three or four bolts 12 are suflicient for this purpose and may be quickly and easily removed when it is' desired to remove the bottom for cleaning.

When the ladle has become partially clogged with slag, the ladle is placed upside down, the bolts 12 are removed, and a heavy steel ball may be dropped from a crane on the bottom 11 of the ladle, knocking it out completely and allowing easy access to the slag lining the side walls as well as the bottom of the ladle; The savings in time and labor are extensive over the timeconsuming and costly methods of cleaning out the slag in unitary ladles, or ladles having permanent bottoms.

The bottom 11 may be separately cast and formed to fit, or it may be cast right in the bottom of the ladle side wall, as a part of the casting form. Well known suitably high heat resistant materials may be used for the bottom 11, the ring 13, bolts 12 and the sealing material, if any. The ladle may be round, oval, rectangular or any other suitable form in horizontal section.

Obvious modifications in the form and details of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A slag ladle having a sidewall converging toward the bottom to provide a generally conical inner surface, said ladle being open at the top and bottom, an outwardly extending marginal flange at the lower edge of said sidewall, a removable bottom wall having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the bottom opening and having a beveled edge, said bottom wall being disposed within said ladle with said beveled edge engaging the conical inner surface of said sidewall to prevent leakage of molten material from said ladle, a separate securing ring engaging said marginal flange and fastening means extending through said securing ring and into said bottom wall to clamp said beveled edge in tight engagement with said conical inner surface and to prevent removal of said bottom wall upon inverting said ladle.

2. A slag ladle having a sidewall converging toward the bottom to provide a generally conical inner surface, said ladle being open at the top and bottom, a removable bottom wall having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the bottom opening and having a beveled edge, said bottom wall being disposed Within said ladle with said beveled edge engaging the conical inner surface of said side wall to prevent leakage of molten material from said ladle, a separate securing ring engaging the Patented July 8,- 1958 the bottom to provide a generally conical inner surface,

means engaging the lower edge of said sidewall, and fasten-' ing means extending through said plate means and. into said bottom wall to clamp said beveled edgein tight engagement with said conical inner surface and to prevent removal of said bottom wall upon inverting the ladle..

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Terhune Aug. 4, 1885 Treadwell June 16, 1908 Astrom Oct. 24, 1911 Klouman et al May 12, 1936 Merk Feb. 16, 1937 Kitto Mar. 7. 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Mar. 29, 1935 

